Norah Fisher was suddenly only inches from Jamie Olson—close enough to make out every fine detail of his skin and feel the heat of his breath. Her heart gave an unexpected jolt.

"Jamie, are you serious?" Norah stepped back quickly, avoiding his gaze. But her racing heart wouldn't slow down.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Jamie's eyes, so brief she might have imagined it. Then he slipped back into his usual cool composure. "Let's eat."

He set the breakfast on the table.

"Okay," Norah said, joining him at the table.

"You go ahead. I'm just going to change," Jamie said, much to Norah's surprise.

"It's such a coincidence—I bought an apartment right next door to yours," he added.

Norah blinked. What were the odds?

Jamie headed next door while Norah started her breakfast. It was as if their conversation from moments before hadn't even happened.

After she finished eating, Norah got ready for work. Jamie mentioned he needed to handle some business at the office too, and they went their separate ways once they reached the lobby.

As soon as Norah arrived at her company, her secretary approached her. "Ms. Fisher, the chairman wants to see you in his office."

"Alright, I understand."

Norah knew exactly why her father was calling her in. She touched the faint palm print still visible on her cheek, let her hair fall over that side of her face, and walked to the chairman's office.

"Dad, you wanted to see me?"

Meir Fisher set his work aside as Norah entered. "Norah, I just got word that Ross Corporation is pulling out of the partnership with us?"

"Yes." Norah nodded.

"I'm sorry, Dad. It's my fault the company is in this position."

Meir stood and walked over to her. "Don't talk nonsense. It's not your fault. They're the ones mixing business with personal matters."

"Dad, I just found out that G.K International is expanding in Boston. I'd like to approach them," Norah said, laying out her plan.

Lionel Ross's cancellation was clearly a tactic to prove she couldn't move on. He probably assumed she'd have to come crawling back for the company's sake. But Norah was determined to find a partner who valued the project's merit—not one blinded by a personal vendetta.

Meir nodded, considering. "G.K International is a major conglomerate. Would they consider a project like ours?"

"In Los Angeles, our project might look small. But this is Boston. G.K is new here and will need partnerships to establish themselves."

Norah was confident their project had real value. The scale often depended on the partners involved.

Meir agreed. "You're right. While Fisher Corp isn't a giant, we've been an established name in Boston for a century."

"Then, Dad, I'll reach out to G.K International."

True to her word, Norah set off immediately, determined.

"Alright, I believe you can do it." Meir gave her shoulder a reassuring pat, but then he noticed the mark on her face.

"Norah, what happened to your face?"

Norah quickly tried to cover it, but Meir had already seen. His expression darkened. "Was it Lionel?"

Norah didn't deny it.

"How dare he," Meir fumed. "I'll confront him myself. My dear girl, I'd never lay a hand on you—what gives him the right?"

"Dad." Norah quickly stopped him. "I've already taken care of it."

Meir looked at her curiously.

Norah nodded. "Really, I have. Have I ever let someone walk all over me?"

The slap had its roots in Vivienne Powell's manipulations, and Norah had already retaliated. She hadn't struck Lionel directly, but she knew he had faced his own consequences.

Fisher Corp wasn't as powerful as Ross Corp, and her father confronting Lionel would only bring unnecessary embarrassment. She wouldn't allow him to go through that on her behalf.

"Norah." Meir's eyes filled with concern.

Norah brushed it off. "Dad, I'm fine. It's over. Please, let's not tell Mom. There's no need to make her worry too."

"Alright." Meir sighed, still heavy with fatherly worry.

Norah grinned. "Really, I'm okay. I'm off to work now."

"Go ahead." Knowing Norah didn't want him to fret any further, Meir held back his concerns.

Leaving the chairman's office, Norah returned to her own office and carefully reviewed the proposal for the Lakeside project. Once she was satisfied everything was in order, she headed to G.K International.

G.K, being new in Boston, would likely have plenty of companies competing for a collaboration. Norah had to seize the opportunity.

"Hello, I'm Norah Fisher from Fisher Corp. Here's my card. I'd like to speak with your project director—if you could let them know I'm here."

Norah handed her business card to the receptionist, her purpose clear.

The receptionist looked at the card and smiled warmly. "Are you Ms. Fisher?"

Norah was taken aback, nodding uncertainly. Did they know her?

"Please follow me, Ms. Fisher." The receptionist was polite and respectful, leaving Norah even more puzzled.

She was led straight to the project director's office.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Ms. Fisher is here to see you, Mr. Olson."

The director?

Norah briefly thought of Jamie Olson. Was this because of him?

That didn't make sense. Jamie had his own company. Why would he be the director at G.K?

"Let her in," came a man's voice from inside.

The voice was familiar—almost like Jamie's.

Could it be him?

The receptionist opened the door. "Ms. Fisher, please go in."

Norah gave a small nod and stepped inside, curious to get a look at this Mr. Olson.

"Hello, Mr. Olson. I'm Norah Fisher, project manager from Fisher Corp."

Norah introduced herself, then lifted her head to meet the man.

A man stood close—so close it startled her—and Norah instinctively stepped back.

It wasn't Jamie Olson, just someone with the same surname. A flicker of disappointment passed through her, though she didn't even notice it herself.

"I'm Maximo Olson. Please, have a seat. No need to be so formal."

Maximo's friendly demeanour left Norah slightly unsure how to react. For the head of a major project, he seemed way too relaxed.

While Norah sized up Maximo, he was studying her just the same.

Is this the woman Jamie is so hung up on?

"Mr. Olson, what did you say?" Norah asked, confused by his quiet mumbling.

Maximo quickly collected himself, shifting to a more formal tone. "Oh, nothing. What brings you to my office, Ms. Fisher?"

"I…"

Just as Norah began to speak, a voice outside interrupted them.

"Mr. Olson, the CEO of Ross Corporation is here to see you."

Lionel?

Norah's brow furrowed slightly.

Why was he here?

"Let him in," Maximo Olson said as the office door swung open and Lionel Ross and Vivienne Powell stepped inside. Both looked caught off guard to see Norah Fisher already there.

"Norah, what are you doing here?" Vivienne blurted, clearly thrown.

Before Norah could answer, Lionel stepped in front of her, irritation radiating off him. "What business do you have here?" he demanded.

"Oh, so you can be here, but I can't?" Norah shot back, ice in her voice.

Lionel's irritation spiked. "This isn't your place, Norah. I don't want to do this here, so just leave."

Norah let out a short, hollow laugh. "Really, Lionel? After everything?"

Maximo, picking up on the tension, cut in, "You two know each other?"

"She's my fiancée," Lionel said, his confidence strained.

"Lionel, you've got some nerve. We're done. I'm not your fiancée," Norah spat, hating the label.

Lionel's voice cut through the room, sharp with frustration. "Norah, you're making a scene. There's a limit to your theatrics, and this isn't the place."

Vivienne chimed in with a condescending edge. "Norah, you can't keep acting like a pampered princess everywhere."

Norah's hands curled into fists, but she forced herself to stay calm.

Lionel turned to Maximo with an apologetic smile. "Mr. Olson, I apologize for the unnecessary drama."

Maximo chuckled, letting his gaze settle on Norah. "Ms. Fisher, your personal life seems rather... lively."

Ignoring the mockery, Norah held her ground. "Mr. Olson, believe what you want, but Lionel and I are done. I'm here to discuss a possible collaboration on the Western District project. Here's the proposal. If you're interested, we can talk another time."

Norah handed him the document, hoping against hope. She knew her first impression probably wasn't great, but maybe she still had a shot.

Maximo accepted the proposal.

The Western District development project caught Lionel's attention, and his expression darkened.

"Mr. Olson, I'll leave you to it," Norah said, moving to leave.

Outside G.K International, she let out a long breath, though her anger still simmered just below the surface. She pulled out her phone and called Elia Dean.

"Hey, Elia, are you out of the hospital yet?"

She hadn't had a real chance to catch up with Elia in the chaos of the proposal these past few days.

"I'm fine, as you well know. I could've left ages ago, but Matthew insisted I stay until today. We're just finishing the discharge paperwork now," Elia replied, a smile in her voice.

Norah could hear the happiness in Elia's voice, almost feel it through the phone. Lionel had been that attentive once, too—before Vivienne came back and changed everything.

"Want to celebrate my discharge later?"

"Are you sure Matthew's going to let you out of his sight?" Norah teased.

"He can't keep me tied down! Let's meet at our usual spot."

"Perfect."

Smiling, Norah ended the call and was about to get into her car when the door slammed shut. Lionel grabbed her arm, his grip tight enough to make her stumble. There wasn't a trace of gentleness in it.

"Norah, what's this Western District project all about?" Lionel demanded, anger thick in his voice.

Vivienne appeared at Lionel's side, her tone scolding. "Norah, how could you do this? Lionel has supported this project for years. How could you just turn around and look for other investors?"

"Oh? So you back out of the partnership, freeze the funding, and expect my company to just grind to a halt?" Norah shot back, her voice cool.

Lionel hesitated. "Back out? Freeze funding?"

Norah laughed bitterly. "Don't tell me you really didn't know the partnership was canceled, Lionel."

Lionel's pride wouldn't let him admit he'd been kept in the dark, but it was obvious he'd been left out of the loop.

"Even so, do you really think G.K International would consider a project like yours? Come back with me, and I'll resume funding. We'll see it through together," Lionel offered, as if he were making some huge concession.

Norah couldn't help but laugh. All this time, Lionel had seen the partnership as some kind of charity. If he never truly believed in her project, what was the point?

"If you don't see the value in the project, then let's end it here. We're both free now, Lionel. Your business and your life are no longer my concern."

Her words weren't just about the project—they were about the end of their relationship.

"Norah, stop throwing tantrums. There's a limit to this behavior," Lionel scolded.

"Are you coming with me or not?"

Just then, Jamie Olson showed up, breaking the tension.

"There you are, Norah. What took you so long? I was starting to think something happened."

Norah beamed at Jamie, grateful for the distraction. She linked her arm through his and faced Lionel with no trace of distress. "Lionel, I have a boyfriend now. Please don't bother me anymore."

"Jamie, let's go."

"Sure."

Norah left with Jamie while Lionel watched them go, his expression torn between rage and disbelief, a vein pulsing at his temple.

"Norah's just trying to rile you up, Lionel," Vivienne said, clearly annoyed. "How could she move on that fast? She's still in love with you."

Lionel looked at her, confused. "Why would she want to provoke me?"

"Don't you see? She's playing hard to get. Norah's loved you for fifteen years. There's no way she'd fall for someone else overnight," Vivienne said, offering him a reassuring smile.

"She's just using reverse psychology to get your attention."

Lionel relaxed, soothed by the thought. Of course Norah wouldn't move on that fast. She'd been devoted to him for so long; this was just her way of getting him to chase her.

"By the way, do you know what's going on with the Western District project?" Lionel asked.

Vivienne nodded. "Marshall mentioned it. He's doing this to wake Norah up. Throwing a drink at your mom at that party was humiliating for her, and it made you look bad by association."

"Yes, she does need to learn a lesson," Lionel said, agreeing with Marshall's plan.

Vivienne murmured, "I didn't expect Norah to be this determined, even going as far as trying to get G.K to invest."

Lionel waved it off. "G.K International won't be interested in her project."

"Let her fail a little. It'll be a valuable lesson."

Norah Fisher slid into the passenger seat beside Jamie Olson, her tone carrying a note of apology. "Thanks for stepping in back there."

She wanted Jamie to know she had no intention of getting tangled up with Lionel Ross anymore. Even after fifteen years of holding onto feelings for him, she wasn't the type to hang on once things shifted. Lionel's heart wasn't in it anymore, and she wasn't about to cling to the past.

Besides, she'd already given their relationship another shot.

"No worries at all," Jamie replied, flashing a slight, teasing smile. His warm grin brought out the striking angles of his face—an intriguing mix that made it impossible for Norah to hold his gaze. She quickly averted her eyes and switched topics. "What brings you to town?"

Maximo Olson popped into her head, and she studied Jamie a little more carefully. Same last name—could they be related?

"I'm here on business. In a city like this, exploring new opportunities is the smart move," Jamie said, clearing things up before she could wonder any further.

Whether Jamie was tied to Maximo or not didn't matter much to her. Sure, she and Jamie had known each other since they were kids, but they hadn't kept in touch over the years. She liked him well enough, but that didn't mean she was about to dig into his past.

"Where to?" Jamie's voice cut through her thoughts. She blinked, realizing the car was already moving.

"I'm meeting some friends at a bar. Want to tag along?" Norah asked, more out of courtesy than anything.

Jamie had gotten her out of a tight spot twice now, after all.

"Sure!" Jamie accepted so quickly that Norah blinked. She'd only meant to be polite, but clearly he took the invitation seriously.

When they walked into the bar, Elia Dean and Matthew Spencer were already there. Their eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of Jamie with Norah, the shock written all over both of their faces.

Norah made the introductions. "This is Jamie Olson. He stayed with us for a year when we were kids."

"Jamie, this is my best friend Elia and her boyfriend Matthew."

"Hello," Jamie greeted them warmly.

Elia waved, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hi."

Matthew didn't answer, eyeing Jamie with a hint of suspicion. As Lionel's close friend, he wasn't exactly eager to welcome someone who might take Lionel's place.

Jamie didn't seem fazed by Matthew's cold shoulder.

"Norah, what would you like to drink? I'll get it for you," Jamie offered.

"I'll have an espresso martini," Norah said.

"Got it." Jamie nodded and headed for the bar.

Once he was out of earshot, Elia leaned in. "What's going on? Did you seriously get a new boyfriend already?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Norah said, a little annoyed. "I told you, we knew each other as kids. I'm not looking to date anybody right now."

Elia studied her carefully. "You still haven't let go of Lionel, have you? After everything, please tell me you're not serious."

"Do you really think I'm the kind of person who can't move on?" Norah shot back.

Elia let out a relieved sigh. "Good. I was worried you were still hung up on that jerk."

"Ahem…" Matthew coughed. "I'm still here, you know."

Even as Lionel's friend, he couldn't honestly deny what they were saying.

"Yeah, you're here. And I'd say it to Lionel's face," Elia declared.

Matthew had nothing to say to that.

Norah cut in before things could go any further. "Okay, let's not let my drama ruin our night. No more Lionel talk."

"Norah, are you really breaking things off with Lionel?" Matthew asked, picking up on the firmness in her tone.

Norah let out a soft chuckle. "When have I ever not meant what I said?"

Matthew was about to answer, but Jamie came back with the drinks, cutting him off.

"Here's your drink." Jamie handed Norah her glass.

Norah accepted it, frowning a little. "I ordered an espresso martini. This is a light fruit spritzer."

"The espresso martini you wanted is pretty strong, and you can't handle that," Jamie said casually, his tone part concerned, part teasing.

Everyone caught the undertone in that exchange—everyone except Norah.

Elia and Matthew, though, definitely sensed something simmering.

Norah took a sip of the spritzer. "It's not very strong. I like my cocktails with a little more kick."

"Try mine. It's stronger." Jamie offered her his glass and leaned in closer.

The low lights, the soft music, his close presence—it all made the moment feel a little too intimate.

When Norah met Jamie's gaze, a sudden wave of discomfort rushed through her and she looked away. "It's fine. I'll stick with this. It's good."

With Jamie and Lionel both in the picture, Norah and Elia felt a bit boxed in. After a couple of drinks and some small talk, they decided to call it a night.

"How are you getting home, Norah? Need a ride?" Matthew asked once they were outside.

It wasn't exactly Norah he was worried about. He didn't like how close she and Jamie were getting. There was no way he could just stand by and let his friend end up in an awkward spot.

Norah waved him off, looping her arm through Jamie's. "No need. We live in the same place, so I'll ride with Jamie."

Even with a low-alcohol blueberry spritzer, Norah was feeling a slight buzz.

She'd never been able to hold her liquor well. She'd snuck drinks with Elia plenty of times, even though Lionel disapproved. Eventually, Lionel's disapproval had been enough to make her stop altogether.

Once Vivienne came back, Lionel stopped worrying about her at all.

One night, Norah had deliberately ordered a strong cocktail and kept drinking until she was way past tipsy. Lionel's only reaction had been cold disdain. "You can't hold your liquor, so why drink that much?"

That was the moment she understood the caring, loving Lionel was gone for good. Their relationship was truly over.

"We live together?"

Elia and Matthew exchanged surprised glances.

Jamie said his goodbyes and led Norah away.

Matthew moved to stop them, but Elia caught his arm. "What are you doing?"

"Aren't you worried about them being alone together?"

"Not even a little. Jamie seems like a decent guy—way better than that jerk Lionel," Elia said frankly. She already had a good impression of Jamie.

Matthew sighed. "Better than Lionel? How exactly?"

"Well, he's definitely better looking," Elia shot back, leaving Matthew completely without a comeback.